diff --git a/lib/krb5/sock_principal.c b/lib/krb5/sock_principal.c
index 944738946..a5e213721 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/sock_principal.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/sock_principal.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997, 1998 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
+ * Copyright (c) 1997, 1998, 1999 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
  * (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden). 
  * All rights reserved. 
  *
@@ -49,25 +49,18 @@ krb5_sock_to_principal (krb5_context context,
 {
     krb5_error_code ret;
     krb5_address address;
-    int len = krb5_max_sockaddr_size ();
-    char *buf = malloc(len);
-    struct sockaddr *sa;
+    struct sockaddr_storage __ss;
+    struct sockaddr *sa = (struct sockaddr *)&__ss;
+    int len = sizeof(__ss);
     struct hostent *hostent;
     int family;
     char hname[256];
 
-    if (buf == NULL)
-	return ENOMEM;
-    sa = (struct sockaddr *)buf;
-
-    if (getsockname (sock, sa, &len) < 0) {
-	free (buf);
+    if (getsockname (sock, sa, &len) < 0)
 	return errno;
-    }
     family = sa->sa_family;
     
     ret = krb5_sockaddr2address (sa, &address);
-    free (buf);
     if (ret)
 	return ret;